Go Laura!!

Today's sketch challenge was based on one of my FAVORITE stampers and friends, Laura Fredrickson aka scrapnextras. She has the most fabulous blog and gallery, and is super sweet to boot!! I decided to use up some of my many scraps of DSP that I have left over from Easter. I needed a birthday card for a stamping friend, but this is a little too masculine, so I think I need to find someone to send it to!! Do you think it would work for a girl?? Anyway, I started with Wild Wasabi and stamped the sentiment from the set Birthday Banter. I then pierced the lines on the bottom, I just love effect that gives. If I had known I was going to use the Birthday Whimsey set before I stamped the sentiment, I would have used the happy birthday from it, but I hadn't picked out the main image set when I started. The other colors on here are Apricot Appeal and Bashful Blue. All the dsp came from the scraps from my Prints Pack. I stamped the balloons in the three colors on my card and cut them out. Then I put crystal effects on them and let them dry. I glued the two down, and popped the third one up. I hand drew the strings with a black marker and then went over it with my silver pen. I used three different ribbons, and six white brads, and it was done. What do you think? Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

stamps-Birthday Whimsey and Banter

Paper- Apricot Appeal, Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White, and Prints Pack DSP

ink-Apricot Appeal, Bashful Blue, Wild Wasabi, and Stazon Black
tools-crystal effects, blue striped ribbon, wasabi stitched ribbon, apricot ribbon, white brads, paper piercer

What A Combo!!

What a color challenge they had on SCS this week!! It was guest hosted by non other than the fabulously talented and hilarious, Carole Burrage(trucarma). She wanted to make us all have indigestion or something along those lines, so she was going to pick a truly awful color combo. After realizing she would have to make a sample with those horrible colors, she decided to pick three of her favorite colors and put them together. Her samples were wonderful, mine, ugggghhhlllyyyy!! I despise this card on so many levels, but it is just awful enough that my MIL should love it. I don't know if that says something terrible about my MIL, but I know, she would never tell me she thought it was ugly, so she is the only person I can give it too. The rest of the people I know are just to honest!!LOL. Okay really, it isn't that bad, but it is totally not me. I used Julee Tilman's mojo Monday sketch for the layout. The swirls are from Priceless(SU) and I outlined them with glitter pen. I punched out the holes with my paper piercer too, and then decided to do a frame around the card, which I actually like. The sentiment is from Warmest Regards and is also stamped in Sage Shadow. The flowers are from Petaloo(the orchid one) and Heidi Swapp(white and ghost). The Sage flower started out white, but I colored it with my SU Sage Shadow marker and then squeezed it between two paper towels to take out some of the color. Well, I hope you like it better than I do!! Have a great day, and try to stay dry(it has rained almost 8in here in the last 24hrs!!).

stamps-Priceless and Warmest Regards

paper-Kraft, Sage Shadow, Orchid Opulence, and Whisper White

ink-Sage Shadow

tools-white brads, ghost flowers and white flower from Heidi Swapp, Petaloo flowers, Sakura glitter pen, paper piercer and mat pack

Reverse Cuttlebug

As some of you may know, I am not a loyal fan of the technique lovers challenge. I prefer to do simple stamping stuff, otherwise I run out of room on my table!! I usually don't participate, but I loved the samples for this weeks challenge, and it sounded pretty easy. The challenge was to take your cuttlebug embossing folder and put ink on the negative side(back of the top side). Then when you run it through, it puts the ink around everything but the embossing. It is an awesome effect, if you ask me!! I used my brayer and inked the inside of my script folder with Always Artichoke. Then I placed a piece of Mellow Moss cardstock inside it and ran it through my machine. I immediately went and washed off my embossing folder and my brayer. Let's face it, there is no saving the brayer, but the folder washed off perfectly!! I layered it with Mellow Moss and my card base is Always Artichoke. I stamped the pail from the Whipper Snapper set Posies for You, designed SweetMissDaisy herself, Anna Wight. If you haven't bought any of her sets, go shopping right now, they are fabulous. She has four cling sets released right now, and I love all of them(I am still waiting for my new one to arrive, but check out her blog,in my blogs I stalk, for samples it is so super cute!!)!! Anyway, I stamped it with Black stazon on Whisper White and colored it in with my Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke marker. I used my aquapainter to blend the colors and then colored the handle with my silver pen. I cut it out and glued it on top of the flower I had stamped from the same set. It was colored with my Pale Plum marker and highlighted with my Perfect Plum marker. I blended it the same way and then outlined the whole thing with my Cool Grey prismacolor marker. I have been on a roll with my bows here lately(what I am not telling you is that it takes me 45minutes to get them right), so I tied a lavender organdy bow around it and tied a bow. That's it for me now, may be back later with some more stuff, if I can get my butt in gear!!

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

stamps-Posies for You

paper-Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Whisper White

ink-Black Stazon and Always Artichoke

tools- word window punch, silver brads, script embossing folder, brayer, aquapainter, silver pen, lavender organdy, SU markers

I'm Late, I'm Late, For a Very Important Date!!

I have to be at my MIL's in one hour for lunch, and I haven't taken a shower yet, do you think I am going to make it!! I cased two of this week's featured stamper's fabulous cards this week. Congrats to you BeckyTE!!! They are pretty self explanatory, so I am not going to go into a lot of detail. The first one is based on her card here, and the second on this one here. Thanks for looking, and I will be back later to add more details!!

EDIT!! Hi all, I am back from my MIL's with a killer headache. Note to self: When celebrating St. Patricks Day, drink the green margaritas in moderation!!! I am not a drinker, at all, and we had a few, ahemmm, glasses of margaritas with lunch, complete with colorful salt!! SOOO yummy, but wowee, who knew such a big girl could get tipsy over a few glasses of margaritas!! I need to practice more or something!!

Tag You're It!

I got tagged by my SCS and blogging buddy Chat aka nitestamper, to list 7 random or unknown facts about myself, so I definitely wanted to play!!

1. I am scared to death to climb ladders. I don't know what it is, but I am terrified of them!!

2. I started working when I was 14yrs(almost 15), and worked up until the summer before my 29th birthday. For that entire time, I held at least one job, sometimes two, and at one point three. So when people ask me why I don't work now I tell them, besides the obvious reason(I don't have to), I need a break!!

3. I was an honor roll student all throughout high school and college, but dropped out to be a Nanny for a Dr. and her husband. I worked and lived with them for 5 yrs. Sometimes I wish I had finished school, since I can't really get a good job without a college degree, but I wouldn't give up one day with the girls I used to take care of. I haven't been their nanny for almost 4yrs now, and not a day goes by that I don't miss them!!

4. My husband and I have been trying to have a baby since we got married 31/2 years ago. We both have infertility issues that are working against each other, so we have to have a lot of help. I refuse to give up though,!! Being a mom is the only thing I ever really wanted to be.

5. I cry A LOT!! I cry at movies, commercials, TV shows,(my #4 made me cry)comments people leave me, songs, you name it. I can cry on demand and it drives my husband bananas!

6. I hate to wear jewelry. In fact, I have to force myself to wear my wedding rings.

7. Last but not least(and by far the most embarrassing), up until about 3yrs(rough estimate)I couldn't tell my right from my left without thinking about it. I would have to hold up both hands in front of my face to be able to see which one was which. Can we say LOSER!!! Now isn't that the saddest thing!!! I was on the math team in high school and only had 1 B my entire high school career!! I was in the honor society for both hs and college, and still had to think about right and left. My family and friends finally gave up on me and started pointing instead of saying right from left. You know what they say though, sometimes people who are book smart have no street smarts!!

Well thanks for reading this!! I want to tag people, but I don't want to force anyone, so I am going to put your names here, but I am not gonna make you do it, OK!!
Linsey-Outside the Lines
Lee-My Reality, it's all good!!
Lesa- Punkydoodle Papers
Laura-scrapnextras
Carolina-Carolina's Creative Pad
and anyone else who wants to play!! If you choose to, send me a link to your post, so I can get to know you all better too!! Now, I really need to go to bed!!

I Finally Did It!!

No, I'm not done with Easter, yet!! Sorry for the false alarm!! What I was referring to is the fact that I finally made my chick from my Just So Hoppy set, hop!! I don't know why, but I just LOVE this Chickie, don't you!! I am exhausted from helping my Mom move today, so I am not going to ramble one, but I wanted to participate in the inspiration challenge for today. It was this SUPER CUTE clothing line called Candy Toss. It is so sweet!! The colors on the clothing are much brighter, but I did start with brighter colors, I just couldn't get it to work out the way I wanted. I thought this paper would work though, cause I think it is a fun pattern. It is from my DCWV Glitter Stack. I paired it with Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery and Lavender Lace. This card also works for Beates weekend sketch challenge. The main image is stamped on Whisper White with Black Stazon and is colored in with SU markers and my aqua painter. The sky was painted on with my AP and Bashful Blue ink pad. I hand drew the dots on the layered sentiment and put some colorful brads in it for some added embellishment(you know how I LUV my brads)!! That's all for me now!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!

stamps-Just So Hoppy by Gina K.
paper- Pretty in Pink, Lavender Lace, Certainly Celery, Whisper White and DCWV Glitter Stack
ink- Black stazon and Bashful Blue
tools-SU markers, aqua painter, soft subtle brads, pink organdy, key tag-scallop-and circle punches, white gel pen, prismacolor grey marker

Easter Tulips

I went to a SU party tonight for a friend of mine, and man was it fun. I always love getting together with friends to do something I love. We talk, eat, stamp, and goof off, can't beat it. She had an awesome turnout, and was $600+ by the time we left, woohoo!!! That never happens to me when I host a party. I am a demo, but I still go to her parties to support her and my friend Lyndee, who is her demonstrator. Lyndee rocks, and lets me still have the demo discount(part of the reason why I still order, cause let's face it, if she didn't I probably wouldn't, I mean it only makes since, right!!). I think she knows that I would totally give her the discount too!!!

I got home, and of course, was having computer withdrawals, so I had to get on SCS and see if the Limited Supplies Challenge was posted, and it was!!! The challenge was to make a card using no specialty tools.......say WHAT!!!! No punches, no cuttlebug, no paper piercer, nothing. Be still my heart, can you make a card without that stuff??? Well, of course you can, but why would you, unless someone challenged you to do it!!! This card was so simple, and took about 10 minutes to make from start to finish. I don't know if it is my favorite card I have ever made, but I still like it. I made it to send to some of my more religious family members, you know the ones who think the Easter bunny isn't what Easter is all about, which is true(but I still LOVE my bunnies!!). It was stamped with Timber Brown Stazon on Whisper White and colored with SU markers. I put Crystal effects on it, layered it with Chocolate Chip and it was done. The rest of the card is pretty self explanatory, and I just want to go on record and say, I did not use a punch for the tag or the brads, I hand cut the shape behind the hardware and just poked the brads through the paper. That's all for me know, lots to do, and I still need to figure out when I am going to sleep. Thanks for looking and have a great day!!
Stamps-Both Way Blossoms and All Holidays
paper-Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Spring Flowers
ink-Timber Brown Stazon
tools-stylized silver hardware, SU markers, chocolate chip satin ribbon

GRRRRRRRR!!!

I learned a valueable lesson today- do not mess with things you do not understand. Case in Point, my camera. You see, it all started the other day when I took a picture of me and my dh. It was one of those ones where you hold the camera out as faaaaaaaaarrrrrrr as your arms can reach and put your heads really close together. It was the first time that we had both been cleaned up in a long time, and I wanted to post a picture of us so everyone could see my wonderful man. When I went to download it, the file size was HUGE!! I don't have a professional photo shop program(something I do need to purchase along with a computer that doesn't suck), so there wasn't a whole lot I could do with the picture to resize it. I used to have a program that worked, but ever since my computer freaked out, I haven't been able to get it to work, and rather than fix the old one, I am just going to get a new one, I just haven't got that far yet. Anyway, I started messing around on my camera and going through all the menu options. I found an option that said image size, hmmmmmm, so, I clicked on it, and saw that I was using the largest image possible. Soooooooo, I scrolled down and picked the smallest image, it asked me if I was sure and I thought, well ya, I clicked it didn't I??? Oh boy, I wasn't sure at all, let me tell you!!! It deleted my ENTIRE memory card!! The whole thing!!! I am so MAAAAAAAADDDDDDDD!!! I had pictures from my nieces birthday on there that I hadn't developed, pictures of my puppy, my friend's daughters birthdays, Halloween, Christmas, you name it. Yes I know, I should have had them developed a long time ago, but who knew!! Let me just say, lesson learned. So anyway, for the next couple of days, I am going to be messing with the settings, trying to get it the way I want it. What can I hurt now, I already deleted everything right??

My card today is for the Ways To Use It challenge over on SCS, which was to use no white or vanilla, and only one solid cardstock for the base. Basically, you have to use DP on every layer, even to stamp on. I have to admit, the challenge kind of overwhelmed me, so I struggled for a few minutes, and then it came to me-RUB ONS!!! These things are super fabulous, and free with a $50 purchase from now until the 17th, so if you haven't got any yet, call me, call your demo, email me, email your demo, just get some, they are worth their weight in gold,IMHO. I started with a Pretty in Pink Base and sponged the edges with Regal Rose and Chocolate Chip. All of the paper is from the Basic Grey Two Scoops collection. I will be honest and say that when I get a DP and the back side is a solid and not another pattern, I hate it, but It really came in handy today!! I used the Rub-ons for the butterflies and the sentiment, which is a little hard to see in photo but it says "A small thing done in great Love is a great thing", pretty right!! I rubbed the butterflies on to the paper and trimmed around them. Put some white brads in a lot of the corners, and made that pretty bow(attached with a pop dot) and it was done. Any questions? If so, just ask, I always try to answer, emphasis on the word try. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!!

stamps-none

ink-Regal Rose and Chocolate Chip

paper-Pretty in Pink and Basic Grey Two Scoops

tools-white brads, pink organdy, and rub ons

I Love a Challenge!!

What a fun time I had at the Gina K. release party on Monday. If you can keep up, which is terribly hard to do on dial-up(I know wahhh-wahhh), it is a ton of fun, and the conversation is always interesting. The design team had some fabulous samples, and the new sets are awesome!! During the party there were 4 challenges issued. The first was a sketch challenge, the second was a scrapbook sketch challenge, the third was a color challenge, and the last one was to make a scene. I am not really a scrapbooker, so I only participated in three of the challenges. You can check out the challenges in the Gina K. member forum over on SCS. You have until tomorrow night to upload your cards, so there is still time to enter!!! I may get brave before then and make a scrapbook page, but it doesn't seem likely!! Anyway, onto my cards!! The first on was made using the Gina K. stamps for a cause stamp set How Sweet It Is. My cousin Mandy just had a baby boy, so I am going to send it to her. I stamped the stork in black Stazon on Whisper White. I colored it in using my SU markers and my aquapainter. I then outlined it in Prismacolor cool grey marker. It was matted with Ballet Blue and Bashful Blue. I ran the white piece through my cuttlebug with my new Perfectly Paisley folder. The bottom sentiment was also stamped with black Stazon and layered the same. The brads are from SU Soft Subtles and Rich Regals brads. I used a strip of paper from the SU Prints Pack and created the layered scallops with my corner rounder. I thought it needed a little, so I added the silver clips with ribbon on them. All of the ribbon is SU except for the dark blue gingham, which is by American Crafts.

The second card was for the third challenge which was a color challenge. I will go ahead and say that I don't like this color combo, BUT I do LOVE my card!!! I stamped the kangaroo from the Gina K. set Just So Hoppy. I colored it with my SU markers and blended it with my aquapainter. I outlined it too, because I really think that it makes it pop!! The balloons were stamped separately, colored with markers, and then had crystal effects put all over them. I don't know why, but the photo looks a little wonky, but it looks really good in person (IMHO). I hand drew in the lines for the balloons. The sentiment is from the retired SU set Riveting. It was stamped once in Taken With Teal and once with Pumpkin Pie. I layered them all together along with the other challenge color Soft Sky, punched holes in the scallops, and added a couple of silver brads The top panel is the challenge colors plus a piece of DP from Bali Breeze(SU). I put three white brads in the top and it was done!! This card measures 5 1/4square by the way!!

My final card is for the fourth challenge, which was to make a scene. Well, we all know I LOVE to do that. I stamped the image with black Stazon on watercolor paper. I used the bunny and tulip from Just So Hoppy, the grass stamp is from the Whipper Snapper set Spring has Sprung. I colored it in with SU markers and blended it with my aquapainter. The colors on this are Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue and Lavender Lace. I think it is pretty easy to figure out, and this post is terribly long, so I am going to leave it at that!! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me!! Thanks for visiting, and have a great day!!!

Sketch Challenge

Okay, so if you came to visit me in the last, we'll say 30 minutes, I am an airhead!! I push enter instead of tab all the time, and post before I have done anything!! I guess I could call it my own little way of building suspense!!LOL Speaking of suspense, go check out Melanie Muenchinger's blog(she's listed over there in the blogs I stalk), she posted her Hoppy Mentions today, and guess who was mentioned, ME along with some other SUPER talented ladies, including my favorite blogging buddies(you know who you are, ALL of you)!!! I am so excited!! I love what I do, and I hope others do to, but it always helps to get a little affirmation, if you know what I mean. Anytime I am having trouble with a card, or life in general, I go to my gallery(or my blog) and read all the wonderful comments people leave me. They really help me through the rough spots and the blah days!! My card tonight is for today's sketch challenge over on SCS. I LOVED this sketch, and will probably use it often. It is so simple, but you really can do some cute stuff with it. I wanted to go all out, and really bling it up, but I got to the point where it is at, and thought, you know what, this is cute, leave it alone!! Sometimes I can spend an hour embellishing something that took me 5 minutes to put together, am I alone in this??? I stamped the chick from Just So Hoppy with Black Stazon on Whisper White, colored it with markers, went over it with an aquapainter, and then cut it out with my circle nesties. I drew the white dots on with my white gel pen, because I was in a dotty mood!! The rest is pretty easy to figure out, but as always, if you have ANY questions, just ask!!! I am always around to answer any questions anyone has!! Thanks for looking and have a great day!!

stamps-Just So Hoppy
paper-Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery CS and DSP, and Prints Pack
tools-SU markers, aquapainter, cirlce nesties, cuttlebug, swiss dots folder, white taffeta, blue and celery grosgrain, white gel pen, prismacolor marker cool grey